Heat Today will be hot in the south of the Netherlands: up to 33 degrees! Check whether your reservoir is still full, whether the mix is still moist, shade vulnerable plants around midday, and wait with sowing until it cools down.
Pre-sprouting snow peas, winter peas and sugar snaps
You can sow winter, snow, and sugar snap peas in early spring. You can even start in mid-February, but I usually do it on March 1.
To help them grow more quickly, we pre-sprout them indoors first.
To help them grow more quickly, we pre-sprout them indoors first.
Pre-sprouting - also called pre-germinating - is super easy. Grab a plastic Tupperware container and place your peas on a layer of damp paper towel.
Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. Then put it in a warm spot.
In the next few days, the peas will swell up. After about 4 days, roots will appear. Once most of the peas have roots, they're ready to sow.
Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. Then put it in a warm spot.
In the next few days, the peas will swell up. After about 4 days, roots will appear. Once most of the peas have roots, they're ready to sow.
Give snow peas a good spot
Snow peas grow quite tall, up to 2 metres, so sow them in a square at the back of the raised bed beside the trellis.
Make eight roomy holes, 3 cm deep: four on one side of the net or trellis and four on the other. Add a few extra holes if you want some insurance 🙂
Make eight roomy holes, 3 cm deep: four on one side of the net or trellis and four on the other. Add a few extra holes if you want some insurance 🙂
Put your pre-sprouted peas in the holes, root-side down. Be careful: you don't want to damage the roots.
Cover up the holes and gently press down the soil mix a little. Add water.
And next? Just wait. With some good weather, the plants will look like this in a few weeks:
Cover up the holes and gently press down the soil mix a little. Add water.
And next? Just wait. With some good weather, the plants will look like this in a few weeks:
Winter peas and sugar snaps
Winter peas and sugar snaps stay shorter, so they do not need a trellis. Sow nine in one square.
They still grow taller than many other plants, so choose a square at the back of your raised bed. If your raised bed has a trellis, use the row of squares directly in front of it.
They still grow taller than many other plants, so choose a square at the back of your raised bed. If your raised bed has a trellis, use the row of squares directly in front of it.
Night frost?
They cope with cold weather very well. Even a layer of snow is no problem.
If necessary, protect them with an MM-Muts crop cover:
If necessary, protect them with an MM-Muts crop cover:
A crop cover also helps to keep birds away. In the winter months, when there's not much for them to eat, they find those peas very tasty.
Enjoy your peas!
